Leather of the 21st century.
Cork
Leather of the 21st century.
Water repellent
Ecological
Elegant
Animal friendly
Natural
Strong
The best investment
Cork
So, you’ve just purchased, or are thinking about purchasing, your first cork accessory. Congratulations, cork is one of the best animal friendly and eco-friendly fabrics out there.
From tree to
Product
After being carefully harvested, the cork is left to air dry for six months. Then it’s boiled and steamed to get even more elasticity. Heat and pressure are applied to cork to press it into blocks, which are later sliced in thin sheets that can be transformed in a multitude of wonderful cork leather accessories.
Unlike leather
Which is chemically processed heavily, cork leather production is chemical-free. Impressive, huh?
Cork fabric won’t crack or crumble. In fact, Due to its very simple and natural processing, cork fabric retains all the qualities that “raw” cork is known for:
Extremely Light
This is one of the biggest advantages of cork and of our products, as no one wants to carry a laptop bag that weighs more than the laptop itself. With over 50% of its volume being air, no wonder cork is so light!
Water Resistant
Cork bags, handbags, and sleeves are perfect to keep your favorite devices safe and sound – even in the most adverse weather conditions. Water resistance is cork’s best-kept secret: cork ages without deteriorating mainly due to its resistance to moisture. The suberin layer (a waterproof, waxy substance) present in the cell walls, makes cork virtually impermeable to liquids and gasses.
Jouw kurken tassen, handtassen, paraplu’s, … zijn bestand tegen de meest barre weersomstandigheden, en de inhoud zal droog en beschermd blijven.
Wear and Tear Resistant
Cork wallets are very sturdy and will last you a lifetime, even if you carry them daily in your jeans’ pocket. Other cork accessories are just as resistant. Thanks to its honeycomb structure, cork is highly abrasion resistant and has a high friction coefficient. That’s why cork is a go-to material, even for NASA.
Soft and Unique
The softness of cork fabric is a lovely characteristic. Also, each product is as unique as a fingerprint, as there are no two equal pieces of cork.
Corky Quality
If your priority is quality, and you’re wondering how your cork products will age and behave through the years, know this: the quality and suppleness of cork fabric products can only be compared to that of leather goods.
But, unlike leather, cork fabric is 100% natural and free from animal products, water repellent, stain resistant and scratchproof. Another advantage of cork fabric over leather is that it’s very low maintenance. To keep your vegan cork accessories in good shape, all you need to do is clean them with water and soap. That’s it! You’re good to go.
Of course your new cork accessories will age – like everything under the sun. But they will do so in a nicely kept manner, lasting you for years to come, with added character.
Captain Cork
The webshop
All cork products will be available in the webstore. If you prefer shopping in a real store, please visit the concept store.
Eye Catchers
Captain Cork a Belgian Brand, a sustainable fashion label.
All products are carefully designed by me, I try to give all the products an exclusive character. Everything is produced from the finest cork, thoughtfully handmade with passion and expertise.
I deliberately work with a small stock and limited amounts of each item. This way you can be certain of real, exclusive and unique eye catchers with an inspiring and sustainable story.
Sustainable and eco-friendly
Captain Cork stands for sustainable entrepreneurship and slow, eco-friendly consumerism. The last few years customers where spoiled with fast selling strategies like order today, delivered tomorrow and retouring at no costs. It all sounds so nice but every upside has its downside. We all know the tendencies behind mass production and consumption: low quality, underpaid and exploited employees, waste of money and resources. The ecological impact is enormous, and all the useless transport is responsible for mass pollution. That’s why Captain Cork strives for quality and sustainability in all its processes.
Captain Cork
The Conceptstore
For me, entrepreneurship is looking for connections with others. Be inspired and inspire. Meeting people and listening to their story. Knowing what makes their green, ecological heart beat faster. To be aware of the small initiatives, the daily efforts and everyone’s contribution to a better world of tomorrow, for ourselves and for our children.
So it quickly became clear that Captain Cork needed a physical place in addition to a webshop. A meeting place that is very easily accessible and where people can meet each other and share their stubborn stories.
Sustainability before anything
The experience shop can be found in Hoogstraat 63 in Antwerp, near the pedestrian tunnel in the beating heart of Antwerp.
Furnished with upcycling and mountains of love
For the design of the concept store, only recycled and reused materials were used. And not just the first, the best. My dad’s house had to be empty for sale. It is emotionally very hard to say goodbye to things that our captain has worked so hard for. That is why the idea arose to reuse his furniture (often heavier industrial materials) in the retail building. The contrast between nature and industry is very powerful and beautiful in its simplicity.
Exhibition space on cork: workshops and events
Visit our exhibition space about the ecological wonder cork. Everything about cork in images and text and beautiful photography.
The exhibition space is also our meeting space where there is room for events and workshops.
On Sunday afternoon we are creative with cork and you can follow workshops “sewing with cork leather” and “design cork jewelry”.
We are happy to make our event space available for your (company) events.
Captain Cork is also a permanent address on the eco tours of Mixua and a permanent shopping address at COSH!
The feeling of a physical store but VIRTUAL
New times require new forms of entrepreneurship, meeting and connecting. During the corona crisis, it became painfully clear that we need to be very careful and careful with displacements and busy places where many people come together.
Captain Cork is happy to use online platforms to reach customers, but in our own authentic and connecting way. The story of the cork, the connection with people and the sense of togetherness continue to prevail. That’s why I introduced virtual live shopping at Captain Cork.
Follow Ina on:
Mompreneur
INA
DE QUINT
Stepped out of the “business world” head held high after 11 years to pursue a dream.
An ecologist long before the hype.
Source of inspiration
ERWIN
DE QUINT
My father, Erwin De Quint, our captain, is the great inspiration behind Captain Cork.
